Ireland legalising abortion was a huge deal. I was very surprised given the Catholocism of Ireland, and the overall position of women. In 1987 I attended an International Conference in Cardiff,Wales attended by women representing close to forty countries.The Theme was discrimination toward, and abuse of women. Of the Catholic countries there, I expected the women with most issues of discrimination when we talked ,and workshopped, to be from countries like Greece. In fact it was Ireland that took that place. Obviously a lot has changed since . Thankfully. !I support your comment about English rugby fans belting out the chorus of Swing high, swing low at their matches to encourage their teams. It shocks me. Not only is it cultural appropiation but it is, as you said a song from slavery in the US Southern states .It is what used to be called a "negro spiritual". And spiritual it is. An expression of pain,and desperation, calling to be "taken home" out of the pain and misery of living as a slave. And the clueless poms turn it into a rugby/sports song. How they made that leap is beyond me. ?When we learned and sang that song at school it was always very poignant. My late husband was a huge lover of rugby. He was after all in the Wesley College first fifteen.. I grew up in a rugby family- my brothers played , my father had played. But after the 1981 Springbok Tour where I protested I did not want my young sons to play rugby. So soccer it was . Later as teenagers they somehow found their way to rugby League, and then Rugby Union. Oh well. Go the All Blacks tomorrow.
The Irish part of my family came from a little village called Broomhedge in Antrim, at the last census they were 98 % Protestant. My Grandfather was a loyal Orangeman - they even had a statue of William duke of Orange in the hallway.
Ireland legalising abortion was a huge deal. I was very surprised given the Catholocism of Ireland, and the overall position of women. In 1987 I attended an International Conference in Cardiff,Wales attended by women representing close to forty countries.The Theme was discrimination toward, and abuse of women. Of the Catholic countries there, I expected the women with most issues of discrimination when we talked ,and workshopped, to be from countries like Greece. In fact it was Ireland that took that place. Obviously a lot has changed since . Thankfully. !I support your comment about English rugby fans belting out the chorus of Swing high, swing low at their matches to encourage their teams. It shocks me. Not only is it cultural appropiation but it is, as you said a song from slavery in the US Southern states .It is what used to be called a "negro spiritual". And spiritual it is. An expression of pain,and desperation, calling to be "taken home" out of the pain and misery of living as a slave. And the clueless poms turn it into a rugby/sports song. How they made that leap is beyond me. ?When we learned and sang that song at school it was always very poignant. My late husband was a huge lover of rugby. He was after all in the Wesley College first fifteen.. I grew up in a rugby family- my brothers played , my father had played. But after the 1981 Springbok Tour where I protested I did not want my young sons to play rugby. So soccer it was . Later as teenagers they somehow found their way to rugby League, and then Rugby Union. Oh well. Go the All Blacks tomorrow.
Thanks Janis for your interesting comments.
Another superb read Nick 👏👏
I loved reading that - thanks Nick.
The Irish part of my family came from a little village called Broomhedge in Antrim, at the last census they were 98 % Protestant. My Grandfather was a loyal Orangeman - they even had a statue of William duke of Orange in the hallway.